Ihor Nikonov’s not typical Kiev

Honorable president of KAN Development Company Ihor Nikonov tells about Kiev and its architecture as a part of his KAN Development Company life, about changes of customers’ demands to the dwelling and about modern housing estate.

Ihor Vladimirovich, you and your team are creating the face of new modern Kiev during more than 17 years. What does it look like, Ihor Nikonov’s not typical Kiev?

Firstly, as for me this word has positive meaning. Secondly, not typical means new Kiev, which differs from what was built earlier, and that is the city that offers brand new comfortable dwelling environment. It is very important for me that each our project makes our customers happy and gives them an opportunity to be proud of their choice. And that is not just the words: e put great funds into infrastructure of every project and we really do it! More than that we do it simultaneously with the project, not afterwards.

What objects of modern architecture in Kiev do you like most of all?

I am afraid to be immodest, but in every segment of real estate market I like the object built by KAN Development Company or with its participation (laughs). For example, I think Ocean Plaza is the best among trade centers, and among business centers – IQ. There are many good projects in the segment of business class accommodation and higher, and our Tetris-Hall is one of the best among them and that is proved by the great number of won prizes. “Comfort Town” became indicative in the segment of comfort, and it is a peculiar visiting card of the city. I am sure that everyone who flew over Kiev noticed cheerful many-coloured quarter. This one and other our projects are often filmed when people make videos about Kiev.

You observed different tendencies at the market during 17 years. How did the customers’ requests change? And what do they pay attention in the process of choosing accommodation for?

Let me put myself on the place of a customer and I will to explain what is the most important for me. Firstly – the location. Secondly – presence of the living comforts, because we propagate the following: in the future a person will less and less go to work, because the megalopolises are growing bigger and the opportunities of communications increase. Necessity to go to the office will decrease with every year, a great number of be run just at home with remote access. Therefore, our task as a developer is to create such environment in which a person will exist comfortably without leaving his district. To make the thought simpler, we seek to the situation when a person can live in a comfortable environment without using a car.

It is not very easy to create the infrastructure in the central districts.

It is true. We try to create it in every object. There are kindergartens, playgrounds or sport clubs, rest areas etc. in each our housing estate.

Will be those things in the second waiting list for Tetris Hall, which you started to realize?

Certainly. This complex is a very modern project, and I suppose that it has already become one of Kiev’s landmarks in the embodied first waiting list. Furthermore, it will look well in any city in the world. Apart from stylish and beautiful building of Tetris, the whole project is very functional in general. In the second waiting list we are creating infrastructure that must be present in any modern housing estate and even more: full-fledged kindergarten for 110 children, playgrounds, sport hall, a huge beautiful hall with a fireplace, a library, party rooms, barbeque zone and even 20-metre swimming pool on the roof. There will be all services, which make life easier and more comfortable – from concierge service to laundry. I would say that our housing estate looks like five-star hotel. There is nothing similar in Kiev.

Operating roofs become very popular today. What will be on your roofs?

Almost everything: swimming pool, rest zone, barbeque zone, park, cinema, yoga area etc. our park will be protected from the wind with the glass wall, that is why it will be comfortable for plants and people the whole year round. Although we chose the plants according to our climatic conditions. There will be two houses in the second waiting list for Tetris Hall and they will be connected with the glass bridge, which is not just complicated engineering decision, but also architectural zest of a project.

Who can get all these advantages?

Only inhabitants of Tetris Hall and their guests. Because the aim of such infrastructure is to bring the inhabitants together and make their life comfortable. As I have already mentioned the task of our company is to revive good-neighborliness, to urge them on communication and active pastime. We create all conditions to make such conception live and developing. A special team works in every our housing project and it is responsible for inhabitants’ pastime organization in the housing estate – from morning yoga to evening cinema.

As I know, you organize theme musical evenings in the lobby of Tetris Hall. What kind of format is that and what is its aim?

It is very important for me to create mot just a building, but a community. Theme evenings for residents is one of the ways to unite people. We invited the best jazz musician in Ukraine (as for me, not just in Ukraine) Alexey Kogan and organized jazz evening in Tetris Hall. The aim of this event is to attract new buyers and to introduce the neighbours, residents of our complex, to each other. Because the problem of good-neighborliness is priority for our company.

Did the sale start in the second waiting list for Tetris Hall?

Yes, it has already started, and quite successfully. The buyers can look at the example of the first line, make sure that the quality of the construction is high, and understand that KAN is very responsible as for its work. Tetris Hall is a very cool project and I am certain that my children will live there, and what can be the better proof?